Lord Triesman: The British Consulate-General (BCG) in Hong Kong does not require a certificate of renunciation of British dependent territories citizenship from a person of Nepalese origin who applies for registration as a British citizen. The BCG spoke to the Nepalese consul-general on 6 December explaining fully the criteria for applications and he will be informing the Nepalese community what essential documentationis required to accompany applications.

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What employment legislation governs civil servants from the Republic of Ireland who workin the United Kingdom in cross-border bodies.

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the European Union Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC applies to data transferred by way of the SWIFT international money transfer service; and, if so, what advice they have givento United Kingdom banks and other financial institutions about compliance with that directive or with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: I refer the noble Baroness to the statements on compliance postedby SWIFT on its website (www.swift.com/index.cfm?item_id=60786) and in particular to its reaction to the recent report of the committee established under Article 29 of the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC (www.swift.com/index.cfm?item_id=60798). The application of UK and EU legislation in specific cases to particular firms is a matter for the firms themselves and for the courts.

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have plans to provide a system whereby those persons who are severely mentally or physically handicapped can be provided witha dedicated advocate to guide them through complex multi-departmental, interdepartmental and agency matters; and, if so, at what age they would be entitled to the services of a dedicated advocate.

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What follow-up mechanism will be put inplace to ensure the full cooperation of Serbiaand Bosnia-Herzegovina with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, following their invitation to join the NATO Partnership for Peace.

Lord Warner: Healthcare scientists in audiology were recorded for the first time in the 2004 workforce census. The table shows the number of qualified audiologists since 2004.
	
		
			 Qualified audiologists 
			 Year England (headcount) 
			 2004 1,582 
			 2005 1,651 
			 Source: Non-medical Workforce Census

Lord Warner: There is currently a public/private partnership for the provision of digital hearing aids, governed by a national framework agreement. Local National Health Service organisations enter into contracts with independent sector providers underthe terms of the national framework agreement. The agreement includes a number of contract termsto ensure that contractors provide services of appropriate quality to NHS patients. Any issues of quality that cannot be resolved locally may be escalated to the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.
	The NHS is not mandated to use the national framework agreement, and local NHS organisations are able to negotiate their own contracts with the independent sector if they wish. No central monitoring activity is undertaken with regard to locally negotiated contracts, although we would expect that robust governance arrangements are put in place.
	A national procurement of audiology services is being undertaken as part of the second phase of the independent sector treatment centre programme. Registration by an independent sector provider with the Healthcare Commission is a prerequisite forall contracts awarded under this procurement. The department also has in place a robust central contract management framework for these services which includes clinical and non-clinical key performance indicators, which cover service levels, patient experience and quality of care.

Lord Warner: I am advised that cerebral palsy is sometimes because of a blocked blood vessel, complications in labour, extreme prematurity or illness just after birth. Infections during pregnancy,or during infancy and early childhood—meningitis or encephalitis, for example—can also cause cerebral palsy. Occasionally it is due to an inherited disorder. It is sometimes possible to identify the cause of cerebral palsy, but not always.
	The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council. The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Innovation. The MRC always welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Adjusting for inflation, the purchasing power of £50 in 1981 would be equivalent to the purchasing power of around£137 (to January 2006). The Bank of England currently has no plans to change the denominational structure of its note issue. It does not believe that there is public demand for a £100 note. This is because the public makes much greater use of electronic payments than they did in 1981. Survey evidence shows that the vast majority of cash transactions are for a value of £5 or less and that the highest denomination note that the public would prefer to receive from an ATM withdrawal is £20. A further consideration is that high denomination notes can be more attractive to those wishing to hold and transfer criminal funds.

Lord Triesman: I discussed Montserrat's participation in the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) CARICOM single market and economy (CSME) with the Chief Minister of Montserrat when we met in London last month. A cost benefit analysis, presented in Montserrat on 2 December, is being sent to Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials. This analysis was requested by the FCO to enable us to determine that all the implications of Montserrat's application to join the CSME havebeen considered thoroughly. The Government of Montserrat also need to demonstrate to the United Kingdom that they have in place all the necessary laws to enable them to give effect to the obligations that will arise out of membership of the CSME. This information must be received before I can decide whether to grant an entrustment, given the Government's responsibilities for international obligations and to protect ourselves from potential contingent liabilities.

Lord Triesman: A constitutional review processis under way in the overseas territories, includingin Montserrat. The aim is to ensure that the constitutional relationship reflects the needs of both the overseas territories and the United Kingdom. The Government are committed to considering carefully proposals from overseas territory Governments for constitutional modernisation. The draft constitutions resulting from the review process are not identical, as each territory is unique and needs a constitutional framework to suit its own circumstances.

Lord Triesman: United Nations Secretary-General-designate, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, has already stated that he will actively look for a diplomatic solution to resolving the issues posed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The DPRK human rights situation is a matter of serious concern to the Government. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary previously raised DPRK human rights issues withMr Ban when he was Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, and they again discussedDPRK issues during Mr Ban's visit to London on 5 December. We will continue to stress to Mr Ban the importance of maintaining international pressure on DPRK to improve its human rights record and to allow UN Special Rapporteur Vitit Muntarbhorn access to North Korea.
	My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Ian McCartney, hosted a meeting on 16 November at the House of Commons, where Mr Muntarbhorn addressed Members of both Houses and non-governmental organisations.